MEDIA RELEASE

COBURG, VIC --- AWARD-WINNING MELBOURNE ARTIST AND ACADEMIC ADDS COLOUR TO VICTORIA’S NEXT COUNCIL GENERAL ELECTIONS

Award-winning artist and academic Dr Joel Gailer has launched his campaign to represent North-East Ward for Moreland City Council in Victoria’s next local government elections on October 24.

 Under his newly formed No Fines Party, Dr Gailer aims to address social inequity in his community by amplifying all voices, nurturing collaboration and improving transparency in council consultation processes.

 A passionate advocate for community, Dr Gailer said he felt a social responsibility to stand up and contribute towards common goals that present opportunities for systemic change.

“No Fines Party aims to strengthen the economic and social threads of our community by supporting the creative industries, which underpins the health and wellbeing of all people,” Dr Gailer said.

 “As we have seen during the extremities of Covid-19, the creative industries generate social cohesion and greatly contribute to mental wellness, while providing platforms for people to speak out and connect, which brings about progressive change.

 “No Fines Party is concerned with the health of the environment and its people, which are the key factors in all our activities.

 “Local environment directly affects the way a society functions and the shift towards higher density living means it is now more critical than ever to protect, maintain and create significant urban green areas to ensure healthy neighbourhoods.”

 Dr Gailer is a father of three, university academic, human rights activist and award-winning artist pioneering new styles and processes.

 A Coburg resident, Dr Gailer is a micro business owner, operating a collective studio in Brunswick where he supports and mentors local artists, creates works for commissioned projects, prepares for exhibitions and develops community activities.

 Ambitious with ideas to galvanise the Moreland community through the arts and environmental projects, the No Fines Party plans to look at the consultation processes for all major developments and improve community involvement by seeking out voices for collaboration on issues such as green space and cultural contributions.

 Mr Gailer said more thought needed to be given to improving the safety of pedestrians in areas affected by major constructions, while compensation in the form of support for local cultural projects should be considered for communities directly affected by construction works.

 “We believe developers need to connect with the community they are seeking to significantly alter with their projects, throughout construction and permanently, and this can be achieved any number of ways such as supporting public artworks and environmental improvements to the area.

 “The No Fines Party will also be advocating to increase the number of parking spaces in the Moreland City Council to reduce the opportunity for parking fines.

 “Ultimately there needs to be an overhaul of the penalty system for local legislation, so councils can have more control over the cost of a fine, as we believe blanket measures across Victoria do not consider each region’s unique local demography.

 “The penalties are far too excessive for the Moreland community and can lead to poverty and other social dysfunctions.

 “By improving the way penalties for parking and other minor infringements are distributed, social inequity will be addressed and households can cope with the odd infringement notice without facing economic debilitation.”

 Dr Joel Gailer is seeking the contribution of all members of the Moreland community, particularly those who feel under-represented in local government decision-making processes.

 The No Fines Party aims to provide a platform for all voices, to generate healthy discussion that will help form the Party’s plans and policies.

 “Our community needs to listen to our First People’s more deeply and incorporate the valuable, sustainable advice that comes from thousands of years of knowledge about this land we live on,” Dr Gailer said.

 “We also need to respect those in our community who have come from other parts of the world and find common ground to live as a cohesive community.”

 Watch the streaming of Dr Gailer’s inaugural speech and to receive updates and notification of future events, like the No Fines Party Facebook page.

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For further media inquiries and to arrange an interview with Dr Joel Gailer please contact:

Lee Gailer – Media Manager

Phone: 0498 628 711

Email: lgailer@hotmail.com

No Fines Party is a progressive platform on a mission to reduce poverty through systemic change. No Fines Party operates on a PLURALIST model, in which we actively engage with diverse groups to form our policy decisions.

Excessive fines cause instability in communities and can lead to social dysfunction, so by improving the way penalties for parking and other minor infringements are distributed, No Fines Party aims to address social inequity and prevent households from facing economic debilitation – Reduce Fines and you may Reduce Poverty.

The party’s intention is to advocate for alternative options such as community service, means testing, and council based mediators to circumvent fine disputes from entering the court system and solving them at the community level.

The No Fines Party also aims to expand community consultation for all major constructions in the North-East Ward, improve vehicle and pedestrian safety in affected areas and consider compensation for households directly affected by construction works.

Advocating for progressive change is at the core of the No Fines Party philosophy. In addition to our fines policy we consider the First Nations People as a vital and primary force in our community and we consider their voice in every decision. We are strong advocates for the arts, which is vital and integral to the Moreland community. It is the group’s goal to strengthen the economic and social threads of our society through the arts, which underpins the health and wellbeing of all people.

The environment is a key factor in our decision making. Our local environment is critical to the social functions of our neighbourhoods and the health of our families. The recent felling of mature, 150-year-old trees in Gandolfo Gardens at Moreland Station was a great loss for the Moreland community. We will advocate for the maintenance of significant urban green areas, as well as, the incorporation of local knowledge into all major constructions in the North-East Ward, this includes advocating for safety crossings in construction zones.

Our progressive platform seeks to incorporate all voices in our great community. The party will develop policies to help every person in the North-East Ward and beyond, to progress the livelihoods of all people by advocating for systemic change in the way penalties for parking and other minor infringements are distributed and to reduce this social inequity. We want to support households who face economic debilitation because of this system. We will advocate for Aboriginal voices. We aim to generate social cohesion through a progressive art platform and want to put our environment at the forefront of policy and decision making.